The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of social networks as a regulator, stabilizer and "manager" of public opinion, which becomes especially relevant in the "covid era". The purpose of the study is to consider concrete examples and analyze the main trends of the influence of online communities on public opinion, in addition, an attempt is made to analyze the consequences of such influence on the formation of social psychology in Russia in the coming years. The author attempts to create, based on a small number of articles on the topic in scientific journals and information posted on the Internet, a picture of the directed impact of social networks on Internet users in order to change their ideals, values, and worldview. The author's socio-philosophical and content analysis showed that the management of public opinion in social networks can be both positive, rallying society, and negative, generating protests, falsification of the truth, distrust of the authorities and each other. At the same time, the role of the state in limiting manipulation of public opinion is increasing, in proportion to the growth of destructive influences on social psychology. Through the analysis of the essence of the concepts of "astroturfing", "information stuffing", "protest disinformation", I.V. Vostrikov comes to the conclusion that the very specifics of communication and information transmission in the Network today pushes the use of social networks not only as a means of communication, but also as an influential "inspirer" of a certain ideology. Therefore, in conditions of latent preparation for an information war, both the state and the progressive public need to consolidate efforts to prevent manipulation in the ideological sphere through social communities on the Internet.
